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Slaughter Unveils Restored Clock from Rochester’s 1914 New York Central in New Train Station

February 28, 2018

Press Release

Slaughter secured the federal funding that made the new station possible

ROCHESTER, NY — Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (NY-25) today unveiled the restored clock from Rochester’s 1914 New York Central Station in the new train station. This clock from the early 1900’s was located by Slaughter last year. Following its restoration, led by the New York State Department of Transportation, it is now once again in working order and in the new station as a way to honor the work of Rochester’s own Claude Bragdon and recognize the original station that served our community so well for half a century. Slaughter secured the federal funding that made the new station possible, and its grand opening marked a big boost to her efforts to improve the region’s transportation infrastructure.

“I’m proud to have tracked down this clock from Rochester’s Claude Bragdon Station last year with the help of archivists, historical societies, antique dealers, and railway officials. Thanks to the generosity of the Gores family and the work of a Rochester clock repair shop, the Master Clock is now fully restored, back in working order, and on display in the new station. Travelers will now see this remarkable testament to our past as they travel through our world-class station,” said Slaughter.

Last year, Slaughter reached out to archivists, historical societies, railway officials, antique dealers, and construction companies to track down this clock. After multiple leads, it was located in Monroe County and donated by the Gores family. Its restoration was led by the New York State Department of Transportation and put in working order by A Clock Repair Store in Rochester. Experts have said this self-winding clock is from the turn of the century, the early 1900’s.

A plaque beside the clock in new train station reads, “In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the U.S. Naval Observatory transmitted a telegraph signal to railroad stations each day at noon to standardize times for train and station operations. That would prompt this Master Clock to move its hands to noon automatically and send an electrical signal to the other clocks in the building to show the same time. The Master Clock was powered by an electric motor and would self-wind every hour, features that were new technology of the era.”

Funding for the Rochester train station was made possible by $3.5 million Slaughter secured for the preliminary engineering phase and a $15 million grant from the Federal Railroad Administration through the highly competitive Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) Program.

The new station is reducing regional delays by expanding track service at the station, increasing functionality through a new and redesigned concourse, and enhancing the overall passenger experience in the larger, modern station. Slaughter partnered with the New York State Department of Transportation and Amtrak to hold stakeholder meetings and gain perspective about what was important to the community, and incorporated those features into the design.

The station—including the new station, passenger concourse, platform and passenger information display systems—is fully compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Rochester’s New York Central Station, known as the Bragdon Station, opened its doors in 1914 and was tragically demolished in 1965. The deficient, so-called temporary station that served the community for nearly 40 years has now been replaced by the new, modern station that opened its doors late last year.